Temple-class ship of the line

Class overview
Name	Temple
Operators	Royal Navy
In service	1759 - 1762
Completed	2
Lost	2
General characteristics
Type	68-gun third rate ship of the line
Tons burthen	1422 bm
Length	160 ft 0 in (48.8 m) (gundeck) 132 ft 0 in (40.2 m) (keel)
Beam	45 ft 0 in (13.7 m)
Depth of hold	19 ft 4 in (5.9 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	520 officers and men
Armament	68 guns: Gundeck: 26 × 32 pdrs Upper gundeck: 28 × 18 pdrs Quarterdeck: 12 × 9 pdrs Forecastle: 2 × 9 pdrs

The Temple class ships were two 68-gun third rates designed for the Royal Navy to the lines of the Vanguard of 1748, i.e. to the outdated 1745 Establishment. The Temple class ships were the last 68-gun ships to be built - both by commercial contract - to the draught specified by that specification. ^[1]

Design and development

The Temple class were the final 68-gun ships built to the 1745 Establishment. They measured 160 feet (48.8 m) on the gundeck and 132 feet 10 inches (40.5 m) on the keel. ^[1] They had a beam of 45 feet 1 inch (13.7 m) and a depth of hold of 19 feet 4 inches (5.9 m). The ship had a tonnage of 1,422 tons burthen. ^[2] The armament of the ships consisted of twenty six 32-pounder guns on the main gun deck and eighteen 18-pounder guns on the gun deck above that. On their forecastle, they mounted two 9-pounder guns, with twelve more mounted on the quarterdeck. Their crew numbered 520 officers and ratings. They were equipped with a full ship rig. ^[1]

Ships

Construction data

Ship	Builder [2]	Ordered [1]	Laid down [1]	Launched [2]	Completed [1]	Fate [1]
HMS Temple	Hugh Blaydes, Hull	9 September 1756	17 November 1755	3 November 1758	11 March 1759	Foundered off Cape Clear, 18 December 1762
HMS Conqueror	John Barnard & John Turner, Harwich	11 January 1757	9 February 1757	24 May 1758	3 February 1759 at Harwich, then 15 March 1759 at Portsmouth	Wrecked in Plymouth Sound, 26 October 1760

Citations

1. Winfield, p. 76
2. Lavery, p. 177

References

• Lavery, Brian (1983) The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN   0-85177-252-8.
• Lyon, David (1993) The Sailing Navy List. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN   0-85177-617-5
• Winfield, Rif (2007) British Warships in the Age of Sail: 1714 - 1792. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN   978-1-86176-295-5